COLLEGE ACCESS:
FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE
COUNSELORS OF COLOR AND FIRST
GENERATION STUDENTS OF COLOR
Neena Agnihotri
July 23rd, 2015
Dissertation Defense – CSUN ELPS
A Closer Look
Roadmap
The Role of the College Counselor
Research Questions
Definitions
Literature review
Theory
Methodology
Results
Implications
What Counselors Do
Quick Facts: School and Career
Counselors
$53,610 per year
2012 Median Pay
$25.77 per hour
Entry-Level
Master’s degree
Education
Work Experience in a
None
Related Occupation
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs,
262,300
2012
Job Outlook, 2012- 12% (As fast as
average)
22
Employment Change,
31,200
2012-22
Types of Counselors:
 Academic and Guidance
Counselors
 Dropout Prevention
Advisers
 Intervention Counselors
 Attendance Counselors
 College Counselors
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015)
Average Student to Counselor Ratio
Average Numbers
Counselor Ratio
National
471:1
California
1016:1
LAUSD
790:1
ASCA Recommendation
250:1
Source:
American School Counselor Association, 2011
California Department of Education, 2012
Student to Counselor Ratio
Research Questions
In what ways do first-generation college
counselors of color advise first-generation
students of color about college access?
How do first generation college counselors of
color foster and promote social capital in first
generation students of color?
How do first generation college counselors of
color see themselves in the role of institutional
agents as they build on the cultural capital that
students bring?
Definitions
First-generation students (FGS) are defined as
students who are enrolled in higher education and
whose parents haven’t attended college or received
a college degree in the United States (NCES, 1998).
First generation college counselors of color
(FGCCOC) are those who received a college degree
in the United States and whose parents haven’t
completed a college degree in the United States.
First generation students of color (FGSOC) come
from historically underserved communities in higher
education such as Latina/o, African American, Asian
American, and Native American students.
Literature Review Major Themes
History of
counseling
Types of
counselors
College
access
Emergence
of
counseling
in education
High school
counselors
Collegegoing
culture
(Gysbers &
Henderson, 2001)
Changing
role of
counselors
(ASCA 2003,
2004)
(Jones, 2001;
Borders & Drury,
1992; Corwin,
Venegas, Oliverez, &
Colyar, 2004)
College
counselors
(González, Stoner,
& Jovel, 2003;
McDonough, 1997,
2004, 2005)
(Gandara, 2005,
2007; Rosenbaum,
2001; Luna De La
Rosa, 2007)
College
aspirations
(Vargas, 2004;
Bryan, HolcombMcCoy, MooreThomas, & DayVines, 2009)
First
generation
students of
color
Counselors
as social
and cultural
capital
(Farmer-Hinton,
2008; McDonough,
1997; Hill, 2011)
Counselor
and student
interactions
(Radcliffe & Bos,
2011; McClafferty
& McDonough,
2002)
First generation
college
counselors of
color
(Gap in
Literature)
Social Capital Theory
Human
Capital
theory
includes
skill
formation,
education,
values, and
personal
attributes.
(Becker, 1964)
Cultural Capital
theory refers to
the cultural
assets and status
of the students
and their families.
(Bourdieu, 1986)
• Community cultural
wealth refers to familial,
linguistic, navigational,
aspirational, resistant,
and social capital
(Yosso, 2005)
Social
Capital
theory refers
to the access
and
information
to resources
and the
people that
provide these
resources.
(Coleman, 1988)
Homebased
capital
• Peer
Influence
(Gandara,
2002, 2005)
• Parent
Influence
(Ceja, 2004;
Auerbach,
2001)
School-based
capital
• Counselors as
“Institutional
agents”
(Stanton-Salazar,
2010)
• Availability of
resources at
the school site
(McDonough, 1997;
Vega, 2011)
Methodology
• Setting:
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Data Sources:
• Semi-structured interviews (30-60min)
• Documents (CDE, school websites)
Research
Setting, Data
Sources, &
Sample
• Data Sample
• Sampling strategy: Ethnographic
Critical case study (Glesne, 2011)
• 10 participants & 10 schools –
• multi case study (Creswell, 2012)
• First-generation college counselors of
color
Table 2: Demographic Information of School Sites
2013-2014
School
1
School
2
School
3
School
4
School
5
School
6
School
7
School
8
School
9
School
10
Counselor
Julia
Annie
Ariel
Cindy
Karin
Disha
Sean
Jayne
Soojung
Giancarlo
API
School
Population
SOC
# of
Graduates
Grad Rate
680
700
650
730
690
750
660
640
670
680
1800
315
1000
1200
1100
1300
750
1300
1700
800
1750
315
990
1080
1096
1150
745
1290
1685
795
500
70
55
300
275
400
200
250
520
90
80%
75%
65%
84%
75%
89%
77%
58%
80%
73%
UC/CSU
Ready
30%
45%
60%
50%
52%
37%
38%
29%
32%
55%
Local
District
Area
North
West
Central
Central
East
North
East
South
North
West
Title I school
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
College office
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Physical
Environ-ment
Old
New
New
New
Old
Old
Old
Old
Old
New
High #
First Gen
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Table 1: Demographic Information of Counselor Participants
Name
Julia
Annie
Ariel
Cindy
Karin
Disha
Sean
Jayne
Soojung
Giancarlo
Age
30’s
40’s
50’s
20’s
40’s
60’s
40’s
30’s
30’s
40’s
Gender
F
F
F
F
F
F
M
F
F
M
Ethnic
Identity
Latina
Latina
Latina
Latina
Latina
Latina
Asian
African
American
Asian
Latino
Position
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
CC
School
Local
District
Area
Years of
college
counselor
experience
First Gen
Product of
LAUSD
K-12
Teaching
Background
Guidance
Counseling
Background
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
North
West
Central
Central
East
North
East
South
North
West
>5
10+
10+
<5
>5
10+
10+
<5
<5
10+
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
BA/BS out
of state
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Additional
roles
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Data Analysis Procedures
Data
Thematic Data Analysis
Interpretation
• 200 pages of
transcribed interview
data
• 100 hours of document
review
• Dedoose (to code)
• Categorized 34 codes
• 15 family codes and
child codes
• 6 major themes that
emerged
• Created Sub-themes
• Formulated conclusions
Results/Thematic Findings
RQ 1
RQ 2,3
Additional
Findings
First generation
counseling
methods
Transfer of Social
capital
Impact of budget
cuts
Common struggles
of first generation
students
Building on
Cultural capital
Counselor
preparation
Counselor Insight
 Yes, I share my own personal experiences with my students quite a bit.
And you know what’s funny is, they’re curious anyway; they’re going to
ask me those questions, and I’m not one to hold back, because I think
that’s what connects us is, they also need to understand like, “Hey, I
totally get what you’re going through, because I was in the same place.
And I’m here to service you basically, because I know what it feels like to
be from that place where it’s like you have so many responsibilities, but
yet you want to strive for more.”
> Soojung, School #9
First Generation Counseling Methods
 First is to convince them that it’s for them…see all these requirements,
you’ve met all these requirements. You’ve got the GPA, you’ve done a
fabulous job, you absolutely can go to college. You’re prepared. And
they look at me like I’m from another planet [laughing] and I say
“You're going to humor me and you’re going to apply, OK.”
> Disha, School #6
Common Struggles of First Generation Students
 It’s the issues related to the whole first generation kids going to
college and some of those changes are going to occur, right, like,
leaving your family behind, which is normally not done, separation
because you’re traveling, an hour away or to another state.
So, I
think, talking to them about that and preparing them for that; these
are some of the things that we are adding to the mix because,
otherwise, they might not go to college.”
> Julia, School #1
Transfer of Social Capital
 What happens in the 12th grade is the kids learn how to -- the word I
use with them is they learn how to navigate red tape. “You're looking
in your portal.
They're saying they didn't get your test scores or they
didn't receive your residency questionnaire.
What should you do?" I
get a blank stare. I say, "We're going to call them…” What happens is
they learn these skills. Like this is how you help yourself.
to call to check if they received the fax.
“You have
You've got to manage every
detail.”
> Annie, School #2
Building on Cultural Capital
 For instance, if they’re first generation and their first language is not
English, it’s important that they mention it [in their college essay]
because being bilingual is something very important. Many colleges
and work places are looking for students that are able to speak
another language.
I was able to get a job on campus that worked
with English Learners which was great.
my home language was an asset.
I never thought that knowing
All through my school years, I
never perceived it as an asset.
> Cindy, School #4
Impact of Budget Cuts
 I am the coordinator for AP testing, PSAT testing, help with other
testing, graduation ceremony, senior awards, serving on school
committees, supervision, whatever they need me to do.
These
additional duties take my time away from college counseling of
students.
The ones that suffer the most from budget cuts are
the first generation students.
>Ariel, School #3
College Counselor Preparation
 Yeah, there was one diversity class in college, I mean, honestly, I
think, it’s just more and more out of my own experiences.
little training from the district.
Very
The thing I was very fortunate
with is that there was a college counselor here before me and
she helped me learn a lot of the duties I needed to learn before I
started this position
> Sean, School #7
Limitations of the Study
Data
• Transparency
Generalizability
• Schools
&
districts
Implications
Policy
Practice
Research
1 College
Counselor/HS
PD for College
Counselors
Shared
Generational
status study
College
Counseling
Certificate
University and
District Counselor
Prep Programs
College
counselor role in
College access
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
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